Earth Weekend at the ROM

Earth Weekend is coming fast, and we couldn’t be more excited! The interactive workshop with Barbara Reid will be amazing, but the Hands-on team from the Keenan Family Gallery of Hands-on Biodiversity is also preparing many more fun and interactive events for the second floor.

The CWF Get to Know Contest

We are thrilled to once again be hosting the launch of the CWF Get to Know Contest. This year, renowned wildlife artist Robert Bateman invites all Canadian youth to go outside and “get to know” their wild neighbours. The Canadian Wildlife Federation Get to Know Contest encourages young people to develop a deeper appreciation for their neighbours of other species by getting outdoors and creating art, writing, digital photography, videos and music.

Winners will receive all kinds of wild prizes, including the chance to attend the week-long Get to Know Art & Nature Camp in Point Pelee National Park, courtesy of Parks Canada. The contest launches during National Wildlife Week, April 8 – 14 and runs until July 16, 2012.

ROM Hands-on staff, volunteers, and community partners will be in Life in Crisis: The Schad Gallery of Biodiversity on Earth Weekend to offer mini-workshops in a variety of artistic media to aspiring contest participants. In addition, local composer Wendalyn Bartley joins us in the Spirit House to share tips on music. Wendalyn’s presentation will include two of her original works: “SoundLines” and “Davenport Road.”

You can bring your smart phone or other recording device to get tips on basic music editing. Have a camera? Bring it along for advice on capturing wildlife in photos and video! Whether you prefer to write, draw, take pictures, make films, or create music, we’re here to help inspire and get you started on what just might be a winning contest entry. Maybe you can even use the techniques you pick up from Barbara Reid to create your Get to Know masterpiece!

Get creative and show your understanding of your wild neighbours and their role in your local ecosystems

Learn to Draw Digitally

For visitors ages 12-18, digital artist and game developer James Richards will be in the Schad Gallery’s Earth Rangers Studio on Sunday, April 22. Participants in this special workshop will learn how to create a virtual still-live using a free, easy-to-use online drawing tool called Harmony, and variety of museum specimens for inspiration. Workshops are free with museum admission, but pre-registration is required; workshops are available at 10:30, 12:30, and 2:30.

Image by James Richards using Harmony

Biodiversity Workshops for Youth

For youth ages 15-24 who want to do even more to be active and create change in their communities, the Biodiversity Workshops for Youth continue on Saturday, April 21. Earth Day Canada’s EcoMentors, Ontario Nature, and the Royal Ontario Museum are hosting these free interactive workshops for youth to help them learn what they can do to protect nature, our environment, and biodiversity. Pre-registration is required.

Workshops for Youth participants in their natural environment. Is this not the coolest classroom ever?

So come to the ROM to show off your creativity and share your passion for nature with us on Earth Weekend! For more information on Hands-on Gallery events, you can also check out the Earth Rangers Studio Green Screens or the #ROMHandsOn twitter tag.

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